As PrettyLittleThing founder and chief executive Umar Kamani is inducted into the Drapers Digital Awards Hall of Fame, he talks to Drapers about creating a legacy and taking the rapidly growing business global.

Drapers Footwear Awards 19 will recognise and celebrate the footwear's very best from across the UK and Ireland.

We have 18 exciting categories up for contest, including International Footwear Business of the Year and Best Sustainable Initiative of the Year.

As PrettyLittleThing founder and chief executive Umar Kamani is inducted into the Drapers Digital Awards Hall of Fame, he talks to Drapers about creating a legacy and taking the rapidly growing business global.

Total online sales across the entire retail sector rose 13% year-on-year to hit £4.1bn for the month compared to £3.6bn the year before. Month-on-month sales were down 4% from January, a fall off after competitive new-year promotions.

It is good news for the sector as online retail sales growth slowed to its lowest-ever level in January, up just 5% like-for-like.

Shoppers stuck to more traditional gifts of lingerie and perfume for Valentine’s day this year. Sales for the gifts sector were down 31% a week before Valentine’s Day while sales of lingerie online soared 30%.

Capgemini vice president, retail consulting and technology Chris Webster said: “It is reassuring to see that romance hasn’t been lost in the recession, and shoppers clearly haven’t lost the love for online retail. The growth of less traditional sectors in February paints an optimistic picture of consumers picking themselves up following the doom and gloom of the last couple of years. Despite online retail’s maturity, it is still showing strong growth levels of 13%.”

Online sales have been a reliable retail growth story for close to two decades, but new figures reveal a slowdown. Does this signify a levelling-out of sales online? Where will growth come from for pureplay and multichannel retailers? Drapers finds out.

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